by "Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
Published 06/20/2017 at 16:02
by "Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
Published 06/20/2017 at 16:02
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STARS: 1
I had my eye on an Nvidia Shield K1 tablet for my wife. Not because she does any gaming, of course. Her super basic Acer 8” tablet is never getting updated from KitKat, and the K1 was a solid 8” Android tablet for a good price of $199. But now it’s gone, and only available used on ebay for more than $199. Damn.
The Android tablet market is very much drying up, but my wife and I are both tablet fans. We have perfectly good phones and laptops but we enjoy the larger tablet screen for chilling on the couch or in bed. My Lenovo Yoga Tab 2 10” that I got a couple years ago isn’t perfect, but sufficient. The screen is kinda mediocre, and the wifi and bluetooth are a little glitchy, but it works for casual web browsing, video streaming, and falling asleep to videos of Bob Ross painting.
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I got my wife’s tablet for like $120 a couple years ago, because she had an OG 2012 Nexus 7 that was rendered useless when updated to Android 5.1. The Acer was on sale at Best Buy and even though it has only 1 GB of RAM and a 720p screen, I figured it’d be good enough. But it’s pretty damn slow and laggy now.
I don’t need anything super fancy for her, but I’d like to get her an 8” Android tablet with at least 2 GB of RAM and a 1080p screen. The Shield K1 would’ve been perfect, and still could be depending on what kind of ebay deal I could score one at.
The only options right now that are readily available in the US are:
Asus Zenpad S 8.0 Z580C - $191 from B&H Photo
This is an older model with a higher-end (for 2015 when it came out) Intel chip. There’s an update to Android 6.0 that has to be applied manually. The reviews show has a high rate of motherboard failures, so I’m not seriously considering it.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 -$299 everywhere
It’s fine enough but it’s another hundred bucks above what the Shield K1 was. Darn. Also my wife likes stock Android because it’s what she’s used to, so I know adjusting to Samsung’s UI and reversed back & multitasking buttons would annoy her.
Aside from grabbing a Shield K1 on ebay, there’s also the option of getting a used Galaxy Tab S 8.4 in the ~$150-175 price range, but it has the same Samsung drawbacks.
Huawei makes assorted models that could be acceptable but none are readily available here.
Lenovo announced their Tab 4 series back in February , supposedly to be available in May, but they’re still not out yet. The Tab 4 8 Plus has the same basic guts as my wife’s Moto G5 Plus and would be totally fine for her. It’s even supposed to be $199 like the Shield K1 was.
So....I’m gonna twiddle my thumbs and wait for Lenovo to hopefully start selling it while my wife laments her lack of a generally functional tablet.
"nerd_racing" (nerd189)
06/20/2017 at 16:10, STARS: 1
I’m about to blow your mind... Bob Ross... HAD STRAIGHT HAIR! He permed it before auditioning for the show on PBS and they made him keep it permed.
"Chuckles" (chucklesw37)
06/20/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 0
I too enjoy falling asleep to the peaceful sounds of Bob Ross.
"lone_liberal" (token-liberal)
06/20/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 0
The one and only piece of Apple kit I own is an iPad that I bought used from work for $100. I’d love to have a solid Android tab but I’ve never found one I like as much.
"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
06/20/2017 at 16:15, STARS: 0
Thats disappointing. I’ve been a bit enamored with both the Shield TV and tablet releases (to the point of nearly buying an OG Shield tablet about a week prior to the battery meltdown issue they had).
I’m a PC gamer, but I’d honestly been interested in the Shield tablet as it packs (or packed, as it were) good hardware at an excellent price point.
Oh well, guess I’ll stick to limping along with my original iPad (that somehow still does everything I ask of it, even while crippled by an outdated OS).
"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
06/20/2017 at 16:22, STARS: 0
I’ve always wanted a tablet, but just can’t justify it to myself.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 16:43, STARS: 1
The story I heard was he permed it to save money on haircuts while in the military and after his PBS show became popular, he felt like he couldn’t cut it because it had become such a part of his image.
Fun fact: in high school my hair very much resembled Bob Ross but with no perm needed.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 16:45, STARS: 0
I had an iPad 2 from 2010 to 2015 but when it came time to replace it I was already much more on the Android side of things with my mobile OS preference. But I much prefer my Mac over Windows. Go figure.
"lone_liberal" (token-liberal)
06/20/2017 at 16:49, STARS: 0
I have an iPad 3 that gets me by, but I’d love to be able to get rid of iTunes. We just replaced my wife’s iPad (also a work special) because it was a 16GB model and it was not cheap.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 16:55, STARS: 1
There’s somewhat more selection among nicer 10” Android tablets for around $300ish. Most of the 8” options are super basic. If I had money to burn on a tablet for myself, I’d probably get a Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Plus.
The form factor is definitely weird but I actually really like the kickstand on my Yoga Tab 2 10. It’s not perfect, but acceptable enough that I can’t quite justify getting rid of it yet. The 3 Plus has a much nicer screen, better guts, and newer version of Android.
My wife’s tablet is much less usable than mine so hers is the priority. The reason I hesitate on the Samsung Tab S2 8.0 for her is partly because for her needs, $300 is overkill, and partly because she’s more used to stock Android and tweaks to things like physical buttons instead of on-screen ones irritate her. I just got her a Moto G5 Plus and she loves it so the cutesyfied Samsung UI and reversed back and recent apps buttons aren’t the best choice for her.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 16:55, STARS: 0
I got an iPad 2 back in 2010 which I kept for 5 years. When you have both a smartphone and a laptop it’s not exactly necessary, but it’s nice to have something to casually use like a phone but with a bigger screen.
At the moment, both my wife’s and my phones are much better specs and performance than our tablets, but we still like tablets.
"Probenja" (probenja)
06/20/2017 at 17:43, STARS: 0
Xiaomi is a Chinese brand that’s getting popular, they are selling copies of the iPad with similar screens and decent specs for the price:
http://www.dx.com/p/xiaomi-mipad-mi-pad-3-7-9-tablet-pc-miui-8-4gb-ram-64gb-rom-463410
http://www.dx.com/p/xiaomi-mi-pad-2-7-9-ips-tablet-pc-w-2gb-ram-64gb-rom-golden-852460127
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 17:53, STARS: 0
I’m trying to keep this to a similar price point to the $199 that the Shield K1 was at. The Mi Pad 2 is a 2015 model and the Mi Pad 3 is as much as the Galaxy Tab S2.
"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
06/20/2017 at 18:27, STARS: 0
I don’t think I’d mind that form factor at all, honestly. 75% of my iPad usage is propped up against something as a small bedroom television or source of background noise to fall asleep to (presumably why I haven’t sprung for a more updated tablet, I’m becoming a tightwad as I grow older).
I do have to admit I’m firmly in your wife’s camp as it relates to OS/UI. I’ve been using Nexus phones since the original (and fretting my Nexus 5X’s rapidly approaching end of life/support date), and would prefer to stick as close to stock Android as possible. It’s simple, it’s functional, and most of the features added by apps/ROMs have now been baked into stock Android. If what I’m reading is correct, it appears Lenovo was good about not tinkering with the OS, just pre-loading a handful of apps.
"random001" (random001)
06/20/2017 at 19:19, STARS: 0
I love my K1 a lot. Hit up swappa.com, I found mine there unopened brand new for $150. Set a subscription to the item, you’ll get an email when one shows up. People negotiate, too.
https://swappa.com/buy/nvidia-shield-tablet-k1-wifi
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 19:37, STARS: 0
I mostly either hold it vertically by the battery hump, or plop it on the kickstand in the kitchen, or watch in bed with the kickstand on my chest and hands resting on the kickstand for stability. I wasn’t expecting the kickstand to be as handy as it is.
On theYoga Tab 2 it’s basically stock Lollipop 5.1 with a kinda crappy stock launcher and a few minimal add-ons that don’t really add value but also stay out of the way. It’s not the most smooth or stable build of Android I’ve ever experienced and this hardware could probably be better optimized but it’s not terrible. The Yoga Tab 3 Plus is supposed to be a big improvement.
There are some 8 inch versions of this form factor but I don’t think my wife would use the kickstand as much as me. I’m the primary cook and she tends to sit up in bed with her tablet.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 19:38, STARS: 0
I always forget about swappa, that’s a good idea. Although according to your link there aren’t any K1s for sale there right now.
"random001" (random001)
06/20/2017 at 19:51, STARS: 0
Huh, I click it and it shows two. Weird....
"random001" (random001)
06/20/2017 at 19:59, STARS: 0
Well, if you really get into a position where you want or need one, let me know. I might be at a point to sell mine and move on to something else. I’ve been thinking about it.
"cluelessk" (cluelessk)
06/20/2017 at 21:23, STARS: 0
I don’t get tablets unless you’re getting one for a kid.
My phone does everything my Girlfriends iPad does and my Laptop is still way way better for actually getting shit done online.
"Katsumoto" (katsumoto)
06/20/2017 at 22:20, STARS: 0
This is the one thing I always want for one reason or another but never buy.
I wouldn’t mind a tablet, but i have a chromecast, a phone and a pc. It be nice to use as a second screen experience while gaming on my computer. (Some games have issues alt tabbing out) That or just a bigger screen for this kind of stuff.
Id feel weird buying an ipad, then using it to cast to a google device.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 22:34, STARS: 0
Yes, a phone and tablet do the same things, but a tablet has a nice big screen. It’s nice to have the bigger screen. Having a phone, tablet and laptop all at one’s disposal is overkill but it’s nice to have the phone be the on-the-go thing, the tablet be the at-home casual bigger screen thing, and the laptop be the get work done thing. I mean, even with that being their supposed purpose, they get used interchangeably.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/20/2017 at 22:35, STARS: 0
I got on the tablet bandwagon back in 2010 before it became played out to have a tablet, and I like having one.
"Katsumoto" (katsumoto)
06/20/2017 at 22:43, STARS: 0
I always want one. Just keep giving myself reasons not to get one.
I had an iPad but didnt really care for it. It was the first gen around the time the 2nd gen came out.
Id probably use it for talking on here, browsing the web, and here and there. Then I think and know my phone does all that and more.
If i ever got one, Id buy one off craigslist, and probably just get an ipad.
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
06/21/2017 at 04:12, STARS: 0
My Nvidia Shield has been a total pain since purchase. Unresponsive screen, soooo slow. Basically unusable for typing due to the screen. I should really have sent it back.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/21/2017 at 08:38, STARS: 0
Supposedly the K1 is fine and doesn’t have those problems?
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
06/21/2017 at 09:51, STARS: 0
The K1 is what I have :/ I may have just gotten a faulty one.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/21/2017 at 10:41, STARS: 0
Hmm, well, hopefully this Lenovo Tab4 8 Plus comes out soon.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/21/2017 at 20:05, STARS: 0
I just realized for some reason it was taking me to Swappa Canada. When I switched to USA it now shows 3.